Adaptation, coordination and distributed resource allocation in interference-limited wireless networks

A sensible design of wireless networks involves striking a good balance between an aggressive reuse of the spectral resource throughout the network and managing the resulting co-channel interference. Traditionally this problem has been tackled using a "divide and conquer" approach. The latter consists in deploying the network with a static or semi-dynamic pattern of resource reutilization. The chosen reuse factor, while sacrificing a substantial amount of efficiency, brings the interference to a tolerable level. The resource can then be managed in each cell so as to optimize the per cell capacity using an advanced air interface design. In this paper we focus our attention on the overall network capacity as a measure of system performance. We consider the problem of resource allocation and adaptive transmission in multicell scenarios. As a key instance, the problem of joint scheduling and power control simultaneously in multiple transmit-receive links, which employ capacity-achieving adaptive codes, is studied. In principle, the solution of such an optimization hinges on tough issues such as the computational complexity and the requirement for heavy receiver-to-transmitter feedback and, for cellular networks, cell-to-cell channel state information (CSI) signaling. We give asymptotic properties pertaining to rate-maximizing power control and scheduling in multicell networks. We then present some promising leads for substantial complexity and signaling reduction via the use of newly developed distributed and game theoretic techniques.